New Delhi
India has recorded an exceptionally low dropout rate of just 0.02 percent among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) students in 2024–25, underscoring the impact of targeted welfare and residential education interventions for the country’s most vulnerable tribal groups.
According to State-wise and Union Territory-wise data on enrolment and retention, provided by Minister of State Durgadas Uikey in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, India’s efforts to retain tribal children, especially those belonging to the PVTGs, in the education system appear to be yielding results.
A total of 1,38,336 tribal students were enrolled across the country during the year. Of them, 4,552 students belonged to PVTGs, one of the most socio-economically marginalised sections among Scheduled Tribes.
States with large tribal populations continued to dominate enrolment figures. Madhya Pradesh (25,056) and Chhattisgarh (24,767) together accounted for more than one-third of the total tribal enrolment. Odisha (11,530), Gujarat (11,525), Maharashtra (10,092) and Andhra Pradesh (9,891) also recorded strong participation.
Madhya Pradesh emerged as a key performer in PVTG education as well, enrolling 929 PVTG students with a dropout rate of just 0.01 percent, reflecting the effectiveness of hostels, scholarships and community-based monitoring.
PVTG Retention Better Than Overall Tribal Average
The data highlights a striking trend: where PVTG enrolment is reported, dropout rates are consistently negligible. Andhra Pradesh recorded a PVTG dropout rate of 0.09 percent, Chhattisgarh 0.04 percent, Karnataka 0.02 percent, Maharashtra 0.05 percent, Rajasthan 0.01 percent, and Tamil Nadu 0.04 percent.
Education experts point out that focused schemes such as residential schools, direct benefit transfers, nutrition support and local language-based teaching are helping PVTG children remain in school despite geographical isolation and poverty.
Concerns In Some Regions
While the national picture is encouraging, some regions show warning signs. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest overall dropout rate at 2.02 percent, followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (1.45 percent) and Odisha (0.75 percent). Several northeastern and hill states also reported gaps in PVTG-specific data, suggesting the need for stronger tracking mechanisms.
Policy Implications
The near-zero dropout among PVTG students is being seen as a policy success, demonstrating that micro-targeted interventions work better than generic programmes. However, officials acknowledge that enrolment numbers for PVTGs remain modest, and scaling up access without compromising retention will be the next challenge.
“As India moves towards universal secondary education for tribal communities, the 2024–25 data offers a crucial insight i.e, when support reaches the last mile, even the most vulnerable children stay in school,” said an official.
Tribal & PVTG Student Enrolment And Dropout Rates (2024–25)
| State / UT | Tribals’ Enrolment | PVTG Enrolment | Overall Dropout (%) | PVTG Dropout (%) |
| Andhra Pradesh | 9,891 | 1,283 | 0.67 | 0.09 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 734 | – | – | – |
| Chhattisgarh | 24,767 | 633 | 0.36 | 0.04 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 346 | – | 1.45 | – |
| Gujarat | 11,525 | 21 | 0.06 | – |
| Himachal Pradesh | 902 | – | 0.22 | – |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 900 | – | 0.33 | – |
| Jharkhand | 3,257 | 198 | 0.18 | – |
| Karnataka | 4,523 | 51 | 0.20 | 0.02 |
| Kerala | 969 | 56 | – | – |
| Madhya Pradesh | 25,056 | 929 | 0.28 | 0.01 |
| Maharashtra | 10,092 | 129 | 0.67 | 0.05 |
| Manipur | 1,440 | – | 0.42 | – |
| Mizoram | 1,892 | – | 0.69 | – |
| Nagaland | 744 | 1 | 0.13 | – |
| Odisha | 11,530 | 391 | 0.75 | – |
| Rajasthan | 9,603 | 116 | 0.47 | 0.01 |
| Sikkim | 1,248 | – | 0.16 | – |
| Tamil Nadu | 2,490 | 197 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Telangana | 9,282 | 61 | 0.40 | – |
| Tripura | 2,094 | 238 | 0.57 | – |
| Uttar Pradesh | 890 | 1 | 2.02 | – |
| Uttarakhand | 1,105 | 160 | – | – |
| West Bengal | 3,056 | 87 | 0.16 | – |
| All India Total | 1,38,336 | 4,552 | 0.40 | 0.02 |
